Apr 19, 2024
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Overcoming Small Business Burnout
Work today is very different from what it was a year ago. If you're working for a small-to-medium-sized business, chances are you've spent the last 12 months home-schooling during your breaks and stressing about the health of your family and friends. On top of that, you're expected to produce more than ever before despite the limited resources available to you.
Unfortunately for small businesses, you're probably still recovering from the long-term economic effects of COVID-19, which means you can't always take time off from work to recover. This makes for a perfect burnout recipe. In fact, one report showed that 62% of workers experienced burnout at their jobs.
There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that if you're experiencing any of the common signs below, you're most likely burning out. The good news is that you can put out that flame in its tracks! Keep reading to learn how.
What Are the Signs of Burnout?
1. Lack of Concentration
Problems with concentration are one of the most significant signs of burnout. At times, being overworked can be more draining than being physically exhausted.
Because of this, employees have a hard time getting work done throughout the day. Whether they space out in front of their computers or spend too much time taking breaks, people suffering from burnout will occupy their time with unproductive tasks.
2. Physical Health Problems
One of the biggest issues with burnout is the effect it has on your physical health. Not only does it demotivate you from doing work, but it can also stress your body physically.
Physical symptoms that can arise from burnout include headaches, problems sleeping, and low appetite. However, with the ability to work from home, it's more difficult to decide when to take a sick day and prioritize your health. Cue the burnout.
3. Chronic Stress
A little stress isn't bad for you. It helps the brain stay alert and can have some health benefits. However, it's a different story when you're stressed all the time.
People who suffer from burnout tend to suffer from chronic stress - Chronic stress can lead to anxiety. If you're always worried about your job, it could be a sign that you have too much going on at work and might be suffering from burnout.
4. Desire To Isolate
After a year of quarantine, a desire to isolate is a very telling sign of burnout. If you no longer have the energy to go out and socialize with friends, take a good look at your workload and upcoming projects. That underlying stress could be keeping you from your social life.
A little alone time now and again isn’t a bad thing. Just be careful that you don’t stop seeing your friends and co-workers altogether.
How Do You Overcome Burnout?
1. Schedule Breaks
With so much expected of you at work, it can be easy to forget to take a break during the day. A break doesn’t mean spacing out at your desk; it means actively taking time away from work to recharge.
New research shows that scheduling when you take breaks or switch tasks encourages creativity and helps you find more insightful answers to problems you are solving.
Worried about things happening while you are away from your desk? An Activity Stream will capture and store email conversations between your team and clients so you can catch up on everything that happened when you return.
2. Distribute Your Workload
If you feel like your work is piling up and weighing you down, you could be juggling more projects than the rest of your teammates. Consider investing in smart technology to help evenly distribute work amongst your team.
For instance, Accelo's Utilization Dashboard lets you see any of your team members' schedules so you can clearly see who is being under or overutilized. If your workload is substantially heavier than the rest of your co-workers, you'll be able to clearly see that represented in a bar graph and distribute the work accordingly.
3. Automate Your Tasks
The modern workplace expects you to stay productive. New tools have increased employees' expected output, and there's pressure from your team to reach these goals. However, you don't have to manually do all of these tasks yourself.
Modern tools like a client work management platform can help reduce burnout by eliminating many repetitive tasks. Take data entry, for instance. Instead of manually typing numbers into a spreadsheet, you can use automation software to read your data and create your Reports automatically for you.
BlueBolt Solutions, a Digital Marketing Agency in Chicago, was able to save three hours, per person, per day with automation! By automating your mundane tasks, you will have more time to invest back into your mental health or more fulfilling projects.
4. Take a Vacation
Many workers feel like they don't have time to take a day off with so much to do at work. They let their vacation days go to waste while they work tirelessly at their job.
No matter how much you have to do, never underestimate the value of taking an extended vacation. If you feel yourself slowing down, just remember: you can’t pour out an empty cup. You need to fill your cup before you can fill anyone else's.
Don’t Let Burnout Take Over Your Business
Reducing redundant work is one of the best ways to combat employee burnout. People don't need to spend their time on wasteful tasks that don't add much value to your business! That's why automation is necessary to take some of that work away.
Accelo’s automation software can make your job easier and let you focus on the work you actually enjoy doing. Sign up for your free trial today to see how much work you can take off your plate.
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